Buhari's ex-aide says Kwankwaso's resume eclipses Obi's as 2027 running mates
Former Buhari media aide Bashir Ahmad says Rabiu Kwankwaso brings a longer, more distinguished political resume than Peter Obi as they team up as NDC presidential flag bearer and running mate for 2027.
Ahmad, posting on X, argues the pair should be seen as political peers—not principal and subordinate. He details Kwankwaso's trajectory: Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, two-term governor of Kano (Nigeria's most populous state), and federal minister. By contrast, Obi's national experience before 2023 was limited to one term as Anambra governor.
Ahmad frames Kwankwaso's acceptance of the deputy role as political humility. The NDC ticket positions a seasoned northern power broker alongside a southeastern candidate who galvanized a youth-driven movement in 2023.
This pairing signals a strategic bridge across Nigeria's regional and generational fault lines. Kwankwaso commands deep grassroots structures in the Northwest; Obi carries the "Obidient" wave that disrupted traditional voting patterns.
With the 2027 race taking shape, will this blend of institutional experience and outsider appeal consolidate opposition votes—or expose tensions between two distinct political bases?